Bodog Beat

Team Bodog poker player Ari "BodogAri" Engel is playing at the WSOP Circuit Bayou Poker Challenge. (Bodog Beat Image)

The last stop on the WSOP Circuit before the 2008 World Series of Poker (still unbelievable that it starts next week…) kicked off today in New Orleans. The championship event of the Bayou Poker Challenge features a $5,000 buy-in and offers poker players one last chance to fine-tune their live poker game before wading into the six-week long poker-thon in Vegas this summer.

Play is already underway with some familiar faces out in the field, including Team Bodog's own Ari "BodogAri" Engel, TJ Cloutier, Gavin Smith, Steve Dannenman, Ted Lawson, Josh Arieh, Johnathan "FieryJustice" Little, Bill Edler and the recently-killing it Zach Hyman. Of course, in the time it took for us to write out those names, Smith and Cloutier were both eliminated, meaning that our tournament update is already slightly dated. Way to go guys, we'll see you in Vegas.

Anyway, 249 players showed up in the Big Easy hoping for a some easy money and a chance to take down their fair share of the $1,196,650 prizepool. The top 27 finishers will each take home at least $7,180 in prize money, while first place will walk away with the grand prize of $382,928.

Looks like there are currently 225 players remaining as the players go on a break, so stay tuned to the Beat for more updates on the last of this season's WSOP Circuit events. Oh, and go qualify for the 2008 WSOP through Bodog's WSOP online poker satellites.

Charles Simmons writes poker news and poker tournament updates for the Bodog Beat.